Japan’s ANA to buy 49% stake in Myanmar airline

AFP, TOKYO

Wed, Aug 28, 2013 - Page 15

Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) yesterday said it would acquire a 49 percent stake in a Myanmar airline, the latest foray into the potentially lucrative Southeast Asian market that is rapidly opening up.

“ANA Group will invest US$25 million for AWA [Asian Wings Airways] as part of its stated strategy of expanding into new international markets,” ANA Holdings — the parent of one of Japan’s major airlines — said in a statement.

“As part of the investment, ANA will also work with AWA to improve its operational and on-time performance and support its expansion into markets outside Myanmar,” the company said.

“The acquisition of the stake in AWA represents the first investment in a Myanmar-based commercial carrier by a foreign airline,” it said.

“ANA intends to capture an increasing share of the fast-growing Asian airline market and this investment in AWA will support that strategic goal,” it added.

Shares in ANA Holdings fell 0.47 percent to ￥208 on the Tokyo Stock Exchange yesterday after reports of the deal.

The formal announcement came after the Tokyo bourse closed, with the benchmark Nikkei index having shed 0.69 percent.

In October last year, ANA restarted direct flights from Narita to Yangon after a 12-year hiatus. It will employ larger aircraft and make the currently three-flights-a-week service daily from the end of next month.

Asian Wings, based in the commercial hub of Yangon, operates domestic flights connecting 13 cities. It will begin an international service in October on a route connecting Yangon and Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The Myanmar carrier is considered a mid-tier player in an industry packed with nine airlines, including the government-run Myanmar Airways.